So again I started by making a bunch of paper mache balls and ovals. But before I do that, I always sketch a little rough design. Just to give me an idea how many balls I need and about what sizes.

A lot of the balls are cut in half. For example the ears are ovals cut in half and bent. Same with the cheeks, nostrils. brows etc. Anyway, this gives me a rough idea. I always make a few extra balls too just incase. You can never have too many balls, I always say!

The wolf was very similar to the dragon. I actually think it could have become a dragon at any point! Funny thing about canine/dragon similarities... my drawings of dragons I noticed, seem to resemble my dog.Anyway, with Dans technique you always do the jaws first. The polymer clay teeth, cloth mache, paint etc all done before assembling. This is much easier than the frustration of fiddling to try and get paint down inside the mouth later. The outside is built up around the finished jaws with the rest of the balls and a lot of masking tape.

Next the outside gets the cloth mache skin. Just ripped up old bed sheets dipped straight into elmers glue and applied over the whole thing. This is where you add all the wrinkles, the lips, eye lids etc.

Then a coat of latex house paint and a black wash.

I got a large piece of black fur from the fabric store (about a yard). When you cut fur you want to make sure and part it with a brush at the cut points so you don't loose too much hair.

I started at the base and worked my way up.

I used hot glue to adhere it.

Make sure your hair is all growing in the same direction too.

Around the face I was very careful applying. If you want(and have the tools) you can implant the hair. I am not going for detailed realism with these paper mache props so hot glued hair works for me.

He gets a brush

At this point I decided the shiny black fur looked too new and nice for my wolf, so I very lightly misted the fur with a little ivory spray paint.

Be sure to do this at a distance, moving the can as you spray.

You just want paint it lightly catching the top hairs highlighting

I probably should have done this before applying the fur.

See much better with the spray paint! More wild and wiry.

I decided to make him darker so I went over the entire thing with watered down black paint. Letting the thin paint fall in all the deep recesses and wrinkles.

I lightly wiped some of it off the the raised areas, again letting it stay in the creases.

Next I took a dry brush and dipped it in a little Raw Sienna acrylic paint. I then blotted it the excess paint on a paper towel.

I lightly brushed the raised areas with the dry paint. This dry brush highlighting really adds depth and shows off all the great wrinkles. I did this to inside of his mouth as well before assembling.

Next I took some high gloss varnish and made all the wet parts nice and glossy!

Like the inside of the mouth, the eyeballs...

The nose!

It really makes him look like he is salivating!

His eyes already had a coat of yellow paint (they are polymer clay). I added a little red paint around the corners and while it was still wet I blended it out with more yellow. I did a light coat of glow in the dark paint on top because who knows.... glowing eyes can't hurt. I may want them later.